EPIDEMIOLOGICAL SURVEY ON PREVALENCE OF NON-DERMATOPHYTIC FUNGI ASSOCIATED WITH SCALP INFECTION IN PRIMARY SCHOOL PUPILS IN THE USEN COMMUNITY

ABSTRACT Children in rural and underprivileged communities in Nigeria are disproportionately affected by non-dermatophytes, a fungus infection of the scalp. In two government-owned public primary schools in Usen, South-South Nigeria. A case-control study was conducted to determine the causal agents and factors predisposing students to non-dermatophytes. A total of 109 scalp swabs were collected, and 103 were analyzed for non-dermatophytes. The socio-demographic characteristics of the study participants showed the age range of the study participants was 4–15 years. Of the 100 participants, 42% (46/103) were male and 58% (63/103) were female. 62%, 32%, and 6% of the participants were in the age range of 4–7, 8–11, and 12–15, respectively. The samples from six pupils with clinical symptoms yielded no growth during analysis; the remaining 103 pupils with clinical symptoms were positive for scalp infection. The prevalence of non-dermatophytes associated with scalp infections observed among the subjects was Aspergillus niger (43%), followed by Aspergillus fumigatus (31%), Lichtheimia corymbifera (18%), and Penicillium spp. (8%). The Minimum Inhibitory Concentration and Minimum Fungicidal Concentration were also determined and the result showed Fluconazole to inhibit fungal growth better than Ketoconazole. Sharing combs, playing with animals, and not using soap when bathing were all significantly linked to scalp infections. This study demonstrated a significant frequency of scalp infections brought on by the local dermatophytes. The recovery of a large number of non-dermatophyte fungi along with dermatophytes in our study showed that non-dermatophyte fungi are emerging as important causes of dermatophytosis, warranting the implementation of intensive epidemiological studies of dermatophytosis across the country.